Frédéric Chopin
Nocturne 9
in B Major, Op. 32 No. 1

In this serene and expressive Nocturne, the coda comes as a rude awakening.

ID: 1018
Frédéric Chopin - Nocturnes:

Nocturne 9
Op. 32 No. 1

Key: B Major
Year: 1837
Level: 8
Period: Early Romantic
piano sheet music Piano score: PS Urtext Download
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A sunny dream ending with a shudder

Serene and expressive, the B major Nocturne of Op. 32 effortlessly traverses between peace and melancholy. Arriving again and again at a cadential section marked stretto followed by a rest with a fermata, the piece repeatedly seems on the verge of blossoming into something grander, only to stop in its tracks and return to its previous character. In one of Chopin's most original endings to any of his Nocturnes, the coda comes as a rude awakening, introducing a severe recitativo interjected by heavy chords, ending the piece on what might be called the opposite of a Picardy third - in b minor instead of the home key of B major. In one fell swoop, it is as if Chopin changes the meaning of all the previous stanzas, ending what began as a sunny dream with a shudder.

Background

The Nocturnes of Op. 32 were written and published in 1837. Less technically demanding than many of the other Nocturnes, they have much to offer to the late intermediate student.


Forum posts about this piece:

Eileen Joyce with Frederic Chopin's Nocturne Op. 32 No. 1 by michael_sayers
I found this to be a rather interesting recording in many details, for instance with the stretto starting at beat one of measure six rather than beat three . . .

Chopin's Nocturne Op. 32 No. 1 by pinoypianist
Hi. I’m playing Chopin’s Nocturne in B Op. 32 No. 1 and I have three editions of it. Paederewski, Schirmer (Joseffy), and Urtext (Henle). The problem is that both the Schirmer and the Urtext ends in a B...


Members who like this piece have also downloaded:

Early Romantic piano sheet music by Frédéric Chopin to download and print instantly: Nocturne Op. 32 No. 1 in the key of . Level 8, compositional type: Piece (published in 1837)
Nocturne in B Major, Op. 32 No. 1 by the composer Frédéric Chopin who lived from 1810 to 1849.
The piece was published in 1837 and is included in Chopin's Nocturnes.